Module 1: Fundamentals Flashcards
Ethics
is the philosophical study of morality
Morality
is a system of norms and standards of conduct which prescribe what constitutes right and wrong OR good and bad actions OR behaviour in persons
Ethical Theory
a theory attempting to provide a coherent and tenable account of our moral obligation and the moral status of actions
seeks to provide guidance on our actions
Metaethical Claim
the nature of what makes something right or wrong according to a system
Normative Claim
what you should or ought to do()
Three branches of Ethics
Metaethics
Normative Ethics
Applied Ethics
Metaethics
concerns the nature and meaning of moral properties in themselves such as right, wrong , good, bad
Normative Ethics
The philosophical study, construction and analysis of the moral rules, principles and theories that guide human action and behaviour
Applied Ethics
The practical application of moral norms and theories to evaluate real world moral issues or cases
How are different right/wrong distinguished
- Legally right or wrong
- Prudentially right or wrong
- Morally right or wrong
Legally right or wrong
whether or not something is permitted by the law
Prudentially right or wrong
whether or not something is helpful, beneficial or harmful to your long term well being
Morally right or wrong
that which is right or wrong according to an ethical theory or moral principle
Difference between morally right and morally good
- something is morally right if it is an action is done according to moral principles, most likely because it is morally good
- something is morally good if it is worth doing and enhances the life of those doing that thing and/or others
How are actions morally categorized
Morally Forbidden actions(impermissible actions) and morally required(obligatory actions)
Morally Forbidden actions
actions you ought or must not do because they go against a defensible moral system
-these actions are morally blameworthy
Morally required actions
actions that you ought to or must do because they are mandated by a defensible moral system
- these actions are morally praiseworthy
How are moral actions categorized
supererogatory actions, suberogatory actions and Morally permissible or neutral actions
supererogatory actions
are morally good actions that are not required by our moral systems (goes beyond whats necessary)
-deemed morally praiseworthy
Suberogatory actions
actions that are not forbidden under our moral systems but are still morally blameworthy
Morally permissible
actions that we can do or are just allowed under our moral systems
-neither morally praiseworthy or blameworthy
Kinds of ethical theories
- Teleological (consequentialist theories)
- Deontological theories (non consequentialist theories)
- Character based theories
Teleological theories
these theories associate moral rightness with whether our actions or behaviour maximize some goal or aim
Deontological theories
prescribe a set of moral rules we must follow without exception
-moral rightness of an action is determined by following the prescribed rules
Character based theories
-focus on what constitutes good or bad character
-shift away form action to character
- interested in how one should behave to be considered a morally good person
4 Criterion for assessing moral theories
- Internal consistency or Coherence of claims ]
- Consistency with Considered Moral judgments
- Consistency with Background assumptions about Morality
- Usefulness in moral problem solving
- Internal Consistency
-this assesses whether the theory contradicts itself
-the claims must be consistent with each other and we must bed able to hold all the claims made by the theory true at all times
- Consistency with Considered Moral Judgments
-theory must align strong and informed intuitions about morality
- not about an individuals beliefs about something but things most people would agree with upon reflection
Consistency with Background Assumptions about Morality
-assesses whether a theory is consistent with what we think or assume morality is like and is for
-does it match our assumptions about what morality should do or be
-should match our expectations about morality
examples of background assumptions
we can assume that a good moral theory:
-should result in moral stability
-should reflect that people aren’t perfect (allows for complexity)
-should not be too demanding
-should be able to guide us in moral dilemmas
Usefulness in solving moral problems
- the theory must be able to guide our moral action
-can the theory tell you what the correct moral action to take is in each scenario
TEST FOR IT:
-is this theory helpful in resolving moral dilemmas or conundrums
-does it help us make reliable moral judgments over time and in varying scenarios
-can it help us act morally in difficult situations (is it clear on what to do)
Types of Fallacies
Begging the question, Appeals to authority, Faulty analogy, Straw man, Ad Hominem Attack
Begging the Question
assuming the conclusion in the premises of your argument
eg. everyone is good therefore i am good
Appeals to authority
perceiving an argument or claim as justified simply because it was said by an expert
eg. I think utilitarianism is right because a lot of governments use it to distribute goods
Faulty Analogy
the use of a flawed analogy to argue for a conclusion
eg. KFC smells good and is finger lickin good. my cologne smells good. therefore KFC and my cologne smells finger lickin good
Straw Man
misrepresenting someones claim or argument because its easier to refute
Ad Hominem Attack
rejecting a claim simply because of the person who supports it
